The rapid progress made by SEWA in organizing women in Gujarat led to a demand for creation of similar organizations in other states of India. SEWA Bharat was set up in 1982 in response to this demand. Its main aim is to facilitate the formation of new membership-based organizations of women informal workers across the country and to promote their growth and development.

SEWA Bharat is the all-India federation of SEWA member organizations, with the mandate to highlight issues concerning women working in the informal economy, and to strengthen the capacity of the organizations that serve the interests of these women. Presently 11 such SEWA member organizations are working in nine states. Together they account for a total membership around 1,300,000.

At present, SEWA Bharat’s member organizations include Lucknow Mahila SEWA Trust, SEWA Bhagalpur, SEWA Munger, SEWA Chattarpur, SEWA Delhi Trust, SEWA Gujarat, SEWA Kerala, SEWA Madhya Pradesh, Mahila SEWA Housing Trust and SEWA Academy. Although most of these SEWA organizations are registered, some of these are being developed by SEWA Bharat. New SEWA organizations are being promoted in Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh & Rajasthan.